French Open: Carlos Alcaraz withdraws: a bombshell before the tournament begins!

A stunning turn of events just one month before the start of the legendary French Open. Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, has confirmed his withdrawal, leaving behind a tournament that is now completely blown open. One of the biggest names in the draw disappears before a single ball has been struck.

This tennis favourite injury update changes everything. With one of the leading title contenders absent, the race for the trophy is more open than it has been in years — creating fresh opportunities for fellow top seeds and outsiders alike. In what is shaping up to be a truly unpredictable edition, the Grand Slam upset potential has never been higher. Golden Vegas Sport takes a look at who could step up and lift the trophy at Roland-Garros.

A withdrawal that turns the French Open upside down

Nobody saw this coming. The 2025 edition was still fresh in the memory — Coco Gauff claiming the women's title and Carlos Alcaraz defeating Jannik Sinner in an extraordinary five-set battle lasting five hours and 29 minutes. One of the great Roland-Garros finals in recent memory.

A rematch between the Spaniard and the Italian had felt inevitable. It will not happen. The culprit: a painful right wrist injury sustained at the ATP 500 in Barcelona.

"This is a difficult period for me, but I am convinced we will come out of it stronger," Alcaraz said. Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo admitted the news was a blow, saying they were "inevitably a little disappointed not to have him."

Who are the tournament favourites?

The player withdrawal impact analysis is clear: the draw is wide open. The question now is who can claim a trophy that Alcaraz had made his own on the Parisian clay for two consecutive years.

At 38, Novak Djokovic re-emerges as a genuine contender. The tennis legend is the only active player on tour to have won in Paris three times (2016, 2021, 2023), and with Alcaraz gone, the door is ajar once more.

Jannik Sinner, runner-up last year, will be keen to go one better. Alexander Zverev is another name circulating amongst the bookmakers. With such an open draw and the outsider chances clay court higher than usual, predicting a winner for this tournament feels like anyone's guess. Grand Slam upset potential is at an all-time high for this edition.

*Odds are subject to change. Event ends: 31 May at 11:00.

Arthur Fils — France's great hope after Noah

If Barcelona marked the end of the road for Alcaraz, it signalled the start of something special for Arthur Fils. The 21-year-old Frenchman swept all before him — a far cry from the ATP event in Doha, where he had been knocked out by… Alcaraz.

Fate has a sense of humour. And now all of France is dreaming that Fils can follow in the footsteps of Yannick Noah, the last French winner at this clay court Grand Slam — a staggering 43 years ago.

"Honestly, I don't know if it's this year or in the years to come, but I think he'll find a way to do very well in Paris," said the legendary Ivan Ljubičić. "He has the game to make life very difficult for Sinner."

Check back in six weeks to see whether the Croatian's prediction holds true.

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